GAC for seizure disorder?

[organizedmom75]

My son was recently diagnosed with a seizure disorder (epilepsy), we believe one of his triggers is fatigue and another is frusteration. Can we get a GAC card for him? If so, how many people can be with him? We will have a party of 10. I am just learning about this card and don't know much about it. Where do we pick it up at? Do we get a new card at each park? Can we pick up one card and use it all week?
Thank you so much!!

 

[pudge the fish]

While I can't give you a *Yes* it will help answer, I think I can give you ideas that may help

depending on when you go - are you going in the summer? it's hot now and unless you go in November /Jan it's going to be hot- there isn't a lot of shade- that can be tiring- heat wipes you out fast
you have been before - Disney is BIG- I mean it's 1 plus miles around world showcase. getting from the TTC to MK is a long haul too. walking around Disney is tiring
can your son do a stroller if younger or a wheelchair is he is older?

as to frustration I would suggest a good touring plan & fast passes- you don't have to buy one- you can make up your own-look at maps and info on the Dis-
I would take breaks as needed- take advantage of first aid to rest/ cool off-or do an afternoon break -Does he play with a game boy or PSP? I have found them to be life savers while waiting in lines- makes the times go faster.

Please realize even with a GAC you are going to have waits at some rides
a GAC doesn't get you a front of the line pass-
When going with a friend in a W/C we had LONGER waits on many rides as there were many ECV/WC ahead of us. Example- my DH & DD did 2 rides/ shows with fast passes while I waited with my friend for TSM and at MK they rode more rides while we waited at Jungle Cruise and Small world.

Shows may have a special entrance for GAC, but if the show just started you will have to wait unitl the next show-

the GAC allows a party of 6- please see Post 6 in the FAQ sticky for technical information

 

[mechurchlady]

All Disney parks have a policy where they tell guests that they must somehow use a mobility aid if they tire easily. There are rental sites that offer rollators, wheelchairs, pushchairs, special needs strollers and ECVs/scooters. That said you need to get the kid a wheelchair to help him not fatigue.

The GAC cannot get guests to the head of the line usually. It cannot shorten the walk and at times the line is longer for disabled guests than the regular line. I had to wait for Dumbo at Disneyland for 3 turns so that I did not get the head of the line. WDW and DLR are similar in having at times very long disabled lines. There was at Disneyland about a 10 minute wait for pirates but I had to wait for half an hour because I used the disabled line for my scooter.

GAC and disabled services is for a party of 5 plus the disabled guest for a total of 6 people. The GAC and disabled services are only for the guest and his group so no having granny use her GAC or wheelchair to get her family through lines faster when she is not riding.

GAC is not needed if a person is obviously disabled such as using a wheelchair or crutches. GACs can be given for hidden disabilities such as vision limits, autism, sun, and hearing even if the guest is in a wheelchair.

My recommendation is that you get the GAC for no stairs. Rent or buy a wheelchair for the kid. If he wants to walk on a short line let him but make sure it is obviously a short line. REad the FAQs for this board as there are lots of aids in them FAQs.

A. Your party splits into two groups and one group rides with the boy then goes off to rest or whatever while waiting for the rest of your group to get off the ride.
B. Your party splits into two groups and one group waits with the kid in the disabled line then when the other group is ready to board then the whole party boards together.

Use touring guides and online touring tips to minimize waits through slow times of the day, knowing which rides get long lines fast, and using fast passes. Planing is key. Knowledge is key to having a fun trip like where is the bathrooms, where to eat, and what street performances are happening.

For the frustration he needs to learn to handle things. Music players, game boys, chew toys, tid bits of food, games, and other busy stuff help people wait. In restaurants I demolish straws with my fingers. A bored mind leads to frustration so you need to keep his mind off of things he cannot control and on fun things. If he gets frustrated because he did not get picked for a show then avoid those or use psychology and other tricks to help the kid handle not being picked for a show.

Talk to CMs/cast members as they can sometimes help you in ways you would not believe.

 

[SueM in MN]

If you go to the disABILITIES FAQs thread, you should find all the answers to your GAC questions in post #6. If you don't see that thread near the top of this board, you can follow the link in my signature to get there.

Post #3 of that thread also contains information that should be helpful to you. There are links to some past threads, including some about epilepsy. The most important things are usually avoiding getting overtired (not necessarily tired from walking, more from staying up later than usual), avoiding changes to the medication schedule and avoiding dehydration. All of those things can lower the seizure threshold and make a seizure more likely to occur. It's very easy to lose track of the time or forget whether medication has been taken or not. To help out with that, I use a small pill container that I put one dose of medication in (DD is actually on 3 doses of medication) and I use my iPod as an alarm for remembering medication times. If the alarm goes off and the medication is still in the container, we know she has not had that dose. The iPod alarm was set for one of the quieter alarms and in my purse was just loud enough for me to hear without bothering other people. You can also use a cell phone - set on vibrate in a pocket, no one will notice it but you.


Using a touring plan that helps you to avoid the most crowded places and using Fastpass as much as possible will probably be even more helpful to youthsn using a GAC. For example, using a GAC may get you a less crowded place to wait, but may be a longer wait. At Spaceship Earth in Epcot, many people get in line right away when they enter the park. In the morning, that can mean a wait of 1 hour or more. If you wait until afternoon or early evening, you can usually walk right on without a wait. That attraction has a separate waiting area for people with special needs.Using that boarding/waiting area is going to usually mean that when others ate walking right in, you will be waiting 1/2 hour or more, depending in how many others are waiting there.
Since your party is so large, you would not all be able to use the GAC(the usual number the GAC is made out for is 6).

 

[ireland_nicole]

among other disabilities, my DD has seizure disorder. Her primary triggers are becomming overheated and overtired. Therefore, Disney has some challenges. First, we go in Sept. when it is much less crowded. Second, we use a very good touring plan. Although you don't have to pay for one, we found a combination of TGM and touringplans.com to work really well for us. Third, we always use a stroller as wheelchair GAC. If your guy is too big for a standard stroller, you can rent the liberty special needs stroller from orlandostrollerrentals.com I highly recommend a stroller of some type because they're easier to push, create more of a "nest" and are covered by a canopy, therefore keeping them cooler. DD also wears a hat (loose cotton bucket type), 70 SPF sunscreen, a neck coolwrap, has water at all times, we take a break at first aid when necessary, always schedule a TS lunch, and in our touring plan make sure to never be outside more than one attraction. We skip a lot of the parades unless we can find a spot in our near shade (if near, one parent holds our spaces while the other waits w/ DD until the last possible minute), and always, always keep our regular schedule; i.e., up at 7, breakfast in the room, lunch at 11:30-11:45 (I will do 12 in WS at Epcot if necessary) dinner by 6, in bed by 7:30. It's important to keep a schedule if loss of sleep is a trigger. Also, make sure your DS's seizures are not photosensitive; the doc can tell you based on previous EEG's if you need to avoid strobe lighting. A lot of Disney attractions use this, so it's really important to know in advance.
Travelling w/ special kids is a lot more of a challenge, but I certainly think it's worth it a million times over.

 

[SueM in MN]

Also, make sure your DS's seizures are not photosensitive; the doc can tell you based on previous EEG's if you need to avoid strobe lighting. A lot of Disney attractions use this, so it's really important to know in advance.

Just for clarification, WDW doesn't actually use any lights that are technically strobe lights (i.e, regular flashes of light). Where they do have flashing lights, they are always irregularly flashing, which is a different situation. Most true strobe lights also flash many times per second, but slowing to 5 flashes per second or less means that the majority of even photosensitive epileptics are not going to have a problem. Only about 3-7% of people with epilepsy are photosensitive and have problems with lights; of those, only about 5% would have a problem with a light flashing 5 times per second or less.

As ireland_nicole pointed out, this is something to talk to your doctor with, but in for most people with epilepsy, the lights at WDW won't cause any problems. Some of the linked threads about epilepsy in post #3 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread have information about lights in different attractions.

 

[JKSWonder]

You did not say how old your son is, but if he is a little guy like mine, you should know that you can get a sticker from guest services saying that your stroller should be treated as a wheel chair, so you would not have to rent a wheel chair for him.

If he is older and fatigue is a problem, then getting a wheel chair might be a good idea.